Blue Jays could be MLB’s biggest offseason wild card, with a potential run at Kyle Tucker

Coming off their first trip to the World Series in over 30 years, the Toronto Blue Jays have plenty of reasons to keep the momentum going into 2026. Not only did Toronto have a strong showing in the World Series despite the defeat, but they now have a roster with postseason experience and a superstar in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who showed he can carry a team in October.

The Blue Jays†run in 2025 left a mark on an entire country, and the teamâ€s front office is now tasked with putting the Blue Jays back into a position to make another postseason run.

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This is why Toronto is the biggest wild card in baseball this season.

Toronto has been a suitor for some of the biggest free agents, finishing as the runner-up for Shohei Ohtani before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and ending as a finalist for Juan Soto before he signed with the New York Mets.

The Blue Jays have been looking to swim in the deep end of MLBâ€s payroll pool by signing a major free agent, but with no success. Even without landing Soto or Ohtani, they finished last season fifth in payroll. And fresh off their World Series run, theyâ€re looking like one of the most attractive destinations in baseball, both economically and on the field.

“I think Mark [Shapiro] and Ross [Atkins] have done a tremendous job,†Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said of Torontoâ€s top player personnel executives. “And I think going back for us [is] one big thing — probably our largest kind of focal point and biggest goal was to try to create a destination spot where our own players didn’t want to leave and where players from other teams wanted to come.

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“And I think invariably we find ourselves going up against the Blue Jays a lot in different ways, and they have created that as well. I think they have done a really good job with their facilities, the way they communicate, and how they help get the most out of players.â€

High-leverage arms, high priority for the Blue Jays

One of the biggest areas of need for the Blue Jays this offseason is getting help in the back end of their bullpen. Just a year after they signed reliever Jeff Hoffman to a three-year, $33 million deal, Toronto is back on the market for high-leverage arms.

Sources tell Yahoo Sports that the Blue Jays have been one of the more aggressive teams on the market for the offseasonâ€s top relievers, including Devin Williams, Edwin Díaz and Pete Fairbanks. Toronto has already had initial conversations with each of the free agents.

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You could understand why the Blue Jays think additional bullpen reinforcements are necessary. Despite an amazing World Series run, a lasting image from it will be Hoffman surrendering the game-tying homer to Miguel Rojas in the ninth inning of Game 7, leading to Torontoâ€s eventual extra-innings defeat. But even before that, the Blue Jays right-hander was having a year to forget. The Toronto closer went 9-7 with a 4.37 ERA with an AL-leading seven blown saves.

Adding Williams, Fairbanks or Díaz would make the Blue Jays†bullpen stronger. It remains to be seen if Hoffman would remain Torontoâ€s closer, move to an eighth-inning role or if the team would go closer by committee.

What to do with Bo Bichette?

While the bullpen is the area the Blue Jays have started to dive into right away, their biggest question is whether theyâ€ll bring back former shortstop and now second baseman Bo Bichette.

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He is a homegrown star and came up the same year as Guerrero in 2019. While Vladdy is locked in on a 10-year, $500 million extension, Bichette will have a chance to hit the open market and test his value.

The Blue Jays infielder has been one of the most consistent bats in the American League over the past five years, leading the AL in hits twice to go along with two All-Star appearances. Bichette bounced back last season after a down 2024, hitting .311 with 18 homers, 94 RBI and 181 hits before missing the final three weeks of the season with a knee injury.

And while the knee injury kept him out most of the postseason, he showed up when it mattered in the World Series, hitting .348 with a homer and a .923 OPS.

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Bichette has a strong market this winter as both a second baseman and a shortstop in a weak class for shortstops. And after showing he has the ability to play second base, where he would likely be a stronger defender, his flexibility only helps him.

Could Kyle Tucker make sense as Plan B for Bichette?

When a player is a free agent, that means thereâ€s always a 50% chance of them signing elsewhere. And while having Bichette return to play second base and running it back in 2026 is Torontoâ€s Plan A, Plan B could also be tantalizing.

Kyle Tucker is the best player on this yearâ€s free-agent market and while the Blue Jays have struck out when it comes to players atop the market, this might be the year they succeed.

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Tucker could play either corner in Torontoâ€s outfield, giving the Jays a strong outfield with Gold Glove winner Daulton Varsho in center field. Addison Barger could play the other corner with Nathan Lukes or shift back to the infield at third base, where he spent a majority of his time in 2025. Ernie Clement showed he could be an elite defender at both third base and second base, so a move wouldnâ€t be a problem for him either.

The one thing standing in the way of Tucker being the perfect fit for the Blue Jays is outfielder Anthony Santander, who signed a five-year, $92.5 million deal last winter. Santander did not have an inaugural season to remember in Toronto, playing in just 54 games in 2025 due to injury. And when he played, he didnâ€t play well, hitting a paltry .175 with six homers and 61 strikeouts in 194 at-bats.

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Moving Santander is likely impossible at this point for the Blue Jays. And unless they eat a majority of his deal, which teams generally donâ€t do this early into contracts, heâ€s going to be on the roster one way or another in 2026.

But if Tucker wants to be a Blue Jay, they have to find a way to make it work. Because thereâ€s no doubt adding that caliber of player to a team that just made a World Series appearance puts Toronto back into a position to be the favorite in the American League next season.

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